


Friends?

by aguyofmanythings



Category: The Loud House (Cartoon)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, reconcilliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23037415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aguyofmanythings/pseuds/aguyofmanythings
Summary: Dana pairs Lola with Lindsey in a unique pageant in an attempt to help them make up and become friends. Originally by TheLoudArtist15.
Relationships: Lindsey/Francis, Lola/Winston
Kudos: 1
Collections: TheLoudArtist15's Stories





	1. Long-time Rivals, Pair Up!

"Welcome back, young ladies and gentlemen!" Dana Dufresne greeted all the pageant children as they listened. They all stand on stage ready for yet again another day of pageant practice, wearing their usual gowns and makeup; even Dana herself is wearing her usual blue dress. Little did they know, however, that Dana is planning something different for this pageant. Something that will astonish many of the usual pageant competitors, especially two well-known royal pairs that had a long history of rivalry even before they first became official pairs of princess-and-prince pageants. A rivalry that started over competing for first place, and another rivalry that began over who is more of a gallant gentleman. Though, they might not...take it so well.  
  
"It's nice to see all you beautiful young ladies and gentlemen again."  
  
All the girls and boys, especially Lola and Winston, smiled as a response to Dana's compliment.  
  
"Now for this pageant," Dana proceeds, "things are going to be a bit...different."  
  
The young pageant participants are hit by a wave of confusion after Mrs. Dufresne mentioned the word "different." What did she mean by _different_?  
  
Lola, plagued by curiosity, raises her hand, waiting to be called on by Dana.  
  
"Yes, Lola?"  
  
"Mrs. Dufresne, what do you mean this pageant will be different? Aren't we gonna perform the princess-and-prince pageant the same way as we usually do? I mean, I assume this is gonna be a princess-and-prince since all the boys are here on stage. But I'm still willing to participate!"  
  
"Um, no," Dana replied. "In fact, we're not doing any of the previous pageants."  
  
"HUH?!" The pageant children are now more bewildered.  
  
"I know. I know. You are all confused about what the pageant is going to be about. Well, I'm about to tell you! This pageant will only involve talents. No dress ups, no posing, or anything but talents; also, instead of performing your talents alone you will be performing the talent of your choice with a partner!" Dana clarified.  
  
The pageant participants began whispering amongst one another after Dana explained the pageant they are about to practice for. They are wondering why this pageant will involve partners performing a certain talent, especially Lola. This is something she and her friends never expected. This is something new, something Lola had never done before. The more she wondered, the more intrigued she got. This is getting interesting!  
  
Finally, Lola spoke up, curbing the whispers. "Wait, we're performing a talent with a partner?!" she said rather excitedly.  
  
"Exactly, Miss Lola Loud!" Dana confirmed. "To be more specific, pairs, aka two people, will be performing the talents of their choice. Of course, the two will have to agree on a specific talent to avoid any bickering. I'd hate to separate a pair just because they can't agree on something."  
  
The mere thought of performing on stage in pairs plagued the many minds of the pageant children. Instead of becoming more puzzled, they became more excited. They would be happy to perform a talent with a companion. This is something that is definitely new, not something redundant like a Little Miss Perfect pageant.  
  
"Now," Mrs. Dufresne resumed, "before I let you kids decide what talent you will perform, I need to tell you which person will pair up with which person." She reaches into her purse and pulls out a long list of names that are going to be pairs of this pair-based pageant. Dana adjusts her glasses and began reading the names of top to bottom:  
  
Charlene "Chinah" Zapkiel and Jane Fitzgerald  
Jackelyn "Jackie" Johnson and Claudette Marseille  
Carlino "Carl" Casagrande and Adelaide Chang  
Roxanne Waters and Jacqueline Carmichael  
Patricia "Patty" Huxley and Alexander "Alex" Huxley  
Alfred McAlister and Arthur Stauton  
Jesse Marshall and Rhonda Roys  
Helen Holliday and Miriam Blythe  
Oprah Winry and Sally Sweetheart  
  
As the pair of names were read the people whose names were read either gave each other happy glances or simple smiles. By this point, Dana had read most of the pairs of names. There are only two left to read. After a short hesitation, Dana finally reads those two last pairs:  
  
Lola Loud and Lindsay Sweetwater  
Winston Milbourne and Francis Stewart  
  
Lola, Winston, Lindsay, and Francis all gasp in utter shock as they heard their names; the rest of the children also gasped as if echoing the gasps of the former four. A sense of shock shook the entire auditorium. The four rivals stood there in complete disbelief as the names of their archenemies echoed in their minds. They are paired with the people that they are rivals with for the past four years.  
  
After remaining silent for a short time, Lola finally broke the silence, "Me and Lindsay?! Together?! As partners?! Are you crazy, woman?!"  
  
"There is no way I'm going to be partners with this spoiled brat!" Lindsay complained to Dana, pointing at Lola.  
  
"I'm not gonna be with a showoff who thinks he is more of a gentleman than I am!" Francis glared at Winston. "Everyone knows that I'm the true gentleman."  
  
"Says the guy who once tried to sabotage Lola and I's dance performance during the dance competition and talks smack about me in front of my friends," Winston muttered to himself in a sarcastic tone, clearly referring to Francis.  
  
"I've heard that!"  
  
The rivals then approached Dana and bombarded her with complaints. She knew it was a bad idea to put people that loathe each other into pairs, but she knew it had to be done.  
  
"Children! Children! Please calm down!" Dana ordered, trying to calm the complainers down. As Lola, Winston, Francis, and Lindsay reverted back to silence, Dana explains her reasons for putting the long-time archenemies together, "I know you four have a long history of strong animosity towards one another, but I think it's time to end the rivalry. The reason is that your rivalry is getting in the way of how you perform the pageants! Your four enter these pageants not just to look as pretty and handsome as possible, but also to try to one-up each other, forgetting about the true purpose of pageants: having fun." She glares at Lindsay. "And you Lindsay, you need to cut down on the traps. Your jealousy against Lola is really starting to get into you." She averts her eyes back to the rest. "So I concluded that by pairing you guys up, you will learn to work together and get along."  
  
"No way! There's no way you're pairing me up with this Miss Universe wannabe!" Lola pointed at Lindsay.  
  
"Yeah! I would rather get my dress dirty and messy than be with this brat!" Lindsay pointed at Lola.  
  
"I demand you give us different partners!" Francis demanded, the rest agreeing with him.  
  
"Um, sorry, but it's too late to make changes. The producers already made the pairs official. And if you're planning to quit, well...you've already signed up, so it's also too late to quit. Deal with it."  
  
Dana then faces the rest of the pageant children, "And with that out of the way, that concludes this pageant assembly. You adorable boys and girls will now go home and decide on a talent because tomorrow is the first day of practice, so you better come prepared. With that in mind, I'll see you boys and girls tomorrow!"  
  
And with that, the pageant children began leaving the stage while discussing with their partners what types of talents they could do. As everyone left the auditorium, Lola, Lindsay, Winston, and Francis all remained on stage looking shocked. They still can't believe they are forced to be partners despite their rivalry, and they can do absolutely nothing about it. They have no choice but to accept their "companions."  
  
"My pageant career is ruined!" Lola cried in despair, dropping to her knees.  
  
"We said, my princess," Winston, by this point, lost hope.  
  
"I don't think I'll be able to survive this," said Francis.  
  
"Me either, Francie," agreed Lindsay, her head lowered towards the floor in hopelessness.


	2. What Am I Gonna Do?

"NO! It can't go like this! It can't!" Lola shouted in anger as she paced back and forth around her and Lana's bedroom.  
  
"What can't go like what?" Lana asked, reading _Captain Underpants_ on her bed.  
  
"I can't be partners with Lindsay! She'll ruin everything for me!"  
  
"Oh. You're having problems with her again?" the tomboy said in a disinterested tone. As Lola's closest sibling and roommate, Lana's used to her sister complaining about her pageant-related problems, especially when it comes to her archrival Lindsay Sweetwater; by this point, Lana does not really care.  
  
“What did she do? Set off another of her stage traps?” Lana asked, still not taking her eyes off her book.  
  
“Didn’t you just hear me?!” Lola snapped. “I said I can’t be partners with Lindsay! And like what you just said, she might pull another trap on me!”  
  
Lana was taken aback by her twin’s sudden snap, finally averting her eyes from her book. She scooted back a bit on her bed. “Woah! Chill! I’m just asking! Sheesh!”  
  
Lola sighed a bit irritatedly, “I am paired up with Lindsay.”  
  
Lana was hit by a wave of bewilderment. “Why did you pair up with Lindsay? I thought you hated her guts with a passion.” This is a surprise to the mud-loving tomboy as she knew Lola would stay as far away from Lindsay as possible unless she plotted revenge against the Sweetwater for doing something...funny to her. Maybe Lola has yet again another revenge plot against Lindsay.  
  
“I didn’t pair up with Lindsay! Mrs. Dufresne did!”  
  
“And why did Mrs. Dufresne pair you up with Lindsay?” Lana grew a bit intrigued.  
  
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her that?” Lola scoffed sarcastically.  
  
“If you’re gonna complain to me about your stupid pageant problems, at least don’t give me attitude,” Lana became a bit irritated from Lola’s behavior.  
  
"Don't make me angrier than I already am, Lana!" the princess shouted. "Despite Mrs. Dufresne knowing that I loathe Lindsay with every fiber of my being, she still pairs me up with Lindsay!"  
  
"You make a big deal out of everything," scoffed Lana.  
  
“Of course it’s a big deal, Lana! Did you forget the horrible things Lindsay had done to me during the past few months?! She set traps all around the stage for me or the other pageant ladies to trip on, she almost took Winston as her Prince Charming for the first princess-and-prince pageant, she and Francis sabotaged our dance performance and almost ruined our chances of winning the dance competition, and she falsely accused me of being a thief with everyone believing her! Thankfully, Winston disproved Lindsay’s false accusation, but still!”  
  
“But didn’t her parents ground Lindsay for doing all those things?” Lana reminded her pageant-obsessed twin sister. “Shouldn’t that make her regret doing all that stuff to you?”  
  
“NO!” Lola retorted. “Lindsay will never change! She is the most jealous girl I’ve ever met! And she’s gotten more jealous ever since Winston became my prince! So much to the point of doing horrible things to me! Sorry, but I don’t see Lindsay changing anytime soon!”  
  
“Uh, I don’t know, Lola,” said the tomboy. “Maybe one day she’ll reflect on the actions she committed during the previous months and begin regretting what she did to you.”  
  
“Puh-lease! You act as if she wouldn’t mind being in second place. Nope! She’ll take whatever it takes to win first place! Maybe she is setting another trap just for me! She’s taking this opportunity to ruin and embarrass me and permanently damage my pageant career for good!”  
  
“You seriously still think Lindsay is gonna do something like that after being grounded so many times?” Lana, by this point, is in disbelief with her sister.  
  
Lola groans in frustration, “You still don’t get it?! Lindsay will never change. Period! If she does anything funny to me, I swear I will rip her head off!”  
  
Lana wanted to say something but thought against it. The last thing she wants to do is to anger her already angry sister more.  
  
Lola sighed as she calmed down, “I'm gonna get some water. All this yelling made my throat hurt.”  
  
And with that, she leaves the room. As Lana watched her go, she sighed in disbelief before returning to read her book. When will she learn? She asked herself mentally.  
  


* * *

  
  
Meanwhile, at the Milbourne mansion, Winston is at his master bedroom strolling back and forth as he is thinking about something. Unlike Lola, he is not angry as he is feeling rather somewhat distressed.  
  
"What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?" he muttered to himself. "I can't be partners with Francis! What if he plans something that'll embarrass me in front of the audience? I can't let that happen!"  
  
Just then, Winston's bedroom door suddenly opened, and Benjamin, one of the Milbourne family's butlers, enters the room. The butler's unexpected entry to the room startled Winston a bit.  
  
"Master Winston, is something bothering you?" asked Benjamin, feeling a bit concerned. "I heard you muttering to yourself in here.  
  
"It's…" Winston was a bit hesitant to tell his butler about his current dilemma, but he knew Benjamin would press on due to his overprotectiveness, so he spilled the beans. "It's about the upcoming pageant, Benjamin."  
  
"The pageant? You mean this pair-based pageant you told me about?"  
  
Winston nods in confirmation.  
  
"Is something about the pageant concerning you?" the butler pressed on.  
  
"Well...it isn't the pageant itself that concerns me. It's actually my partner that concerns me," said Winston.  
  
"And who is this partner you're talking about?"  
  
Winston took a deep sigh and finally uttered the name of his so-called partner, "Francis. Francis Stewart."  
  
Benjamin's heart skipped a beat after hearing the name of Winston's archrival. Ever since he was first placed in charge of taking care of Winston when he was an infant, Benjamin was well aware of the rivalry between Winston and Francis. Before the Stewarts temporarily left Royal Woods, he would always listen to Winston complain about how Francis is jealous of him and how he would tease him sometimes; when the Stewarts returned, the complaints resumed but not as much since nowadays Winston knows how to deal with Francis as well as his girlfriend Lindsay. For these reasons, Benjamin disliked Francis for teasing the person he is required to protect; now that Winston had mentioned his name again, this really concerned the butler.  
  
"Francis? Do you mean that kid that always teased you?! What? What did he do?! Insult you?!" Benjamin asked frantically, waiting for Winston to answer his questions.  
  
"No, Benjamin." Winston paused for a bit. "At least not yet."  
  
"Why did you pair up with him?!" demanded Benjamin.  
  
"Because Mrs. Dufresne assigned us as pairs," replied the affluent boy. "And I don't know how to say this, but I don't want Francis as my partner."  
  
"Did you ask Mrs. Dufresne to switch?"  
  
"Yes, but she said it's too late to switch partners as the pairs are now made official, and because of that I'm stuck with Francis until the pageant is over." Winston looked down in sadness after explaining.  
  
Benjamin couldn't help but feel sympathy for the boy. He understands why Winston doesn't want Francis as his partner and knows why. Knowing how devious Francis can act, Benjamin feared that something bad might happen to Winston like he might fall for a nasty prank planned by Francis. He wished he wanted to do something about this, but he can't. He is not one of the people in charge of the team-based pageant, so he can't make a change. He has no choice but accept that Francis is Winston's partner. With this in mind, Benjamin needs to think of a way to bring Winston's spirits back up, and then it finally comes to mind.  
  
Benjamin kneels down to Winston's eye level and slowly lifts Winston's head up with his index finger. "Winston, I know this may sound crazy, but something tells me that things are going to change for you and Francis."  
  
Winston was confused by that statement. "Change? What are you talking about?"  
  
"I don't know, but that could be the reason why Mrs. Dufresne paired you up with Winston. She wants you and Francis to change. Mostly Francis.  
  
Winston was still confused, but immediately after he realized what Benjamin meant by "change," "Wait, you mean Francis will change for the better?"  
  
The butler nodded in agreement.  
  
"I don't know, Benjamin. Knowing Francis, he might never change," Winston felt unsure if Benjamin was right.  
  
"Don't be so sure, Master Winston," Benjamin reassured. "You'll never know if he doesn't change or not, but if he didn't, then don't hesitate to tell me, the other butlers, the maids, or your parents."  
  
After hearing Benjamin's words of reassurement, a small smile appeared on Winston's face. He felt good that he had so many people he can look forward to, especially his butler.  
  
"Thanks, Benjamin," was all Winston said.  
  
Benjamin stands up to his normal eye level and then began walking towards the door. When he opens the door, Benjamin looks back at Winston to see him smiling at him. Benjamin gives a warm smile at the boy before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.  
  
For the first time since Winston and Francis first met, Winston was proud to have Francis as his partner.


	3. Preparing to Practice

The next day in the gymnasium at Royal Woods Park, the pageant children and their partners are all huddled together in the middle of the gym listening to Dana Dufresne as she explains what the children are going to do. Dana is not wearing her usual dress but is wearing her grey sweater and sweatpants. The pageant children are in their usual pageant attire, but after Dana finishes explaining they will be sent to the locker rooms to change into the proper clothing depending on what talent each pair decided to do.  
  
"Now, dear children," Dana began, "before we begin our practice, I would like to answer that one question most of you have in your minds: Mrs. Dufresne, why are we here at the park gym and not at the auditorium where we usually practice? Well, the main reason is that since all of you are going to be practicing your talent performances, all of you are going to need a stage, right? Sadly, the auditorium has only one stage, meaning only one pair gets to use it, and then we'll have to take turns which will be time-consuming knowing how long it takes to perfect a performance. That's why we're here in the park gymnasium because this place is huge! We have lots of space to practice our talents for the upcoming pair-based pageant. We're still working on the name for this pageant, but we'll come up with it eventually."  
  
Patty raised her hand.  
  
"Yes, Miss Patty Huxley?" said Dana.  
  
"How about 'Little Mister & Miss Teamwork'? I mean, we are working together in pairs, right?" Patty suggested.  
  
"That is a wonderful name! I can't believe we didn't think of that!"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Patty muttered to herself.  
  
Mrs. Dufresne resumes, "Now before we start, I need to know which talent each pair is going to perform, and two pairs can't do the same talent. If two pairs have chosen the same talent, then one pair will have to choose another one. Got it?"  
  
"Yes," the children agreed.  
  
"Now then, let's start with…" Dana searches through the crowd of children and finds Chinah and Jane. "Charlene and Jane!"  
  
"First off," Chinah began, "it's Chinah with two h's. Second, Jane will perform her ballet routine while I play my harp as a choreographer."  
  
"Excellent choice, ladies! Connects both your talents perfectly!" Mrs. Dufresen then looks at the Hispanic boy and the mixed Asian girl. "How about you, Carl and Adelaide?"  
  
"We're planning to perform _un baile de tango_ ," replied Carl as a guitar plays in the background.  
  
"He means a tango dance," Adelaide clarified.  
  
"Nice!" Mrs. Dufresne then directs her eyes toward the African-American girl and the French girl. "Got something for us, ladies?"  
  
"We're gonna perform a gymnastic stunt and fencing stunt," responded Claudette.  
  
"But we're still trying to figure out how to fuse my gymnastic skills with Claudette's fencing skills."  
  
 _Aw, man! Why couldn't I be paired up with Claudette? She and I would've competed in a fencing duel_! Winston complained in his mind. _Then again, Claudette and I will be doing just that in an upcoming story_.  
  
"Well, I hope you ladies will be about to figure things out." Dana told Jackie and Claudette.  
  
After hearing and memorizing the talents of other pairs, Dana finally reached Lola and Lindsay. "Lola and Lindsay, have you two come up with a talent?"  
  
"Well," Lola reluctantly began, "since I didn't have a choice, I was thinking of performing a ribbon dance."  
  
"I...was thinking of the same thing!" Lindsay added, almost hesitating to speak.  
  
"Well, I hope you were not thinking about setting a trap for me," Lola began to grow suspicious, shooting Lindsay a glare.  
  
"And I hope you don't plan on one up-ing me like you always do!" retorted the Sweetwater.  
  
"Pfft. Whatever," Lola rolled her eyes as she scoffed, clearly not in the mood for bickering with her rival.  
  
"Okay then." Dana turns her attention to the last pair: Winston and Francis. "Have you boys come up with anything?"  
  
"We sure did," Winston replied, trying to maintain his composure.  
  
"He called me on his parents' phone, which surprised me, and told me if we could do a tap dance recital, and I agreed since I love tap dancing," Francis added, also trying his best to maintain his composure.  
  
"Interesting," said Dana. "I also like how you boys are starting to get along."  
  
"Yep!" Winston and Francis gave a thumbs up, looking as nervous as ever.  
  
"And as for you, Lola and Lindsay, you need to start getting along so we don't have to deal with any of your problems."  
  
Lola and Lindsay crossed their arms and faced in opposite directions, refusing to look at each other.  
  
"Guess not, then." Mrs. Dufresne then looks at the rest of the pageant participants. "Now then, since we know what talents we are performing, let's begin practice!"


	4. First Day of Practice

After the pageant children changed into their appropriate attire for their talents in the locker rooms of the park gym, they began rehearsing their talents, utilizing almost the entire space of the gymnasium. Chinah is playing her harp, which is twice her height, while Jane, wearing her pink ballet leotard and tutu, performs her ballet recital in sync to the rhythm of Chinah's harp; Carl and Adelaide, wearing their tango attire, practice their tango moves; Jackie, wearing her yellow leotard, stands on a horizontal bar balance preparing to perform a gymnastic stunt while Claudette, wearing her fencing armor, watches while standing on mats under the bar balance; and so on. The only two pairs that have not started their rehearsals yet are Lola and Lindsay, who are still in their usual gowns, and Winston and Francis, who are wearing their tap-dancing suits. They are still reluctant to work together since they are rivals, but if they want to win this team-based pageant they have to set aside their antipathy and work together.

Lola sighs. "Let's just get this over with."

Lola and Lindsay picked up their ribbons, which matched the colors of their dresses, and prepared to perform their ribbon dance.

"You better not mess me up," the pink-attired beauty queen bitterly told her rival.

"And you better not mess me up, either," Lindsay glared at her nemesis.

"How about we don't mess each other up?! Does that sound better?"

"Yes."

The two girls then lifted up their ribbons and began twirling them in midair into a funnel shape.

"Y'know, ribbon dancing is my favorite and most talented thing to do besides ballet and martial arts," Lola stated, still twirling her ribbon.

"I know that, Lola Loud," said Lindsay. "Ribbon dancing is also my favorite and most talented skill I have. I would've enjoyed it if it weren't for you always beating me," she stated, her tone laced with bitterness.

Lola's anger slowly rose at that remark, but she kept it low in order to not cause a ruckus.

"I've been into pageants ever since I was four," the Sweetwater resumed, "the same time you first got into pageants. My parents first introduced me to them as a way to make friends and have fun instead of being stuck inside my mansion all day. Honestly, I was pretty excited when I attended my first ever Little Miss Cutie Pie pageant, but sadly, that exhilaration all but disintegrated inside me when you were announced the winner."

Lola stopped twirling her ribbon and glared at Lindsay, feeling a mixture of emotions. The first part of her wanted to lash out at Lindsay for once again mentioning her irritation towards Lola's first victory in her first pageant two years ago, but the second part of her felt somewhat guilty for winning her first pageant. Lindsay's reasons for entering her first pageant was so she could have fun and make friends, and all of that was taken away the moment Lola achieved her first victory; since then, Lindsay felt nothing but jealousy and envy towards Lola and her friends, which resulted in endless competition and rivalry between Lola and Lindsay.

"Wow. I didn't know you entered your first pageant just to have fun and make friends," said Lola, her resentment gradually fading away. "This whole time I thought you participated for the same reason I did: to show off my beauty."

Lindsay stopped twirling her ribbon and stared at Lola for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Tch. Typical," she muttered to herself. "Anyway, that's my second reason. To show the world how cute and beautiful I am. Of course, your beauty overshadowed mine."

Once again, Lola's anger rose a bit higher. She so wanted to punch Lindsay in the face for mentioning her irritation towards her good looks, but again she suppressed it, something that Lola had never done. Normally, if she was angry enough she would just let it out, and Lindsay sometimes triggers the fury dwelling inside Lola, but for some reason, it is not. Maybe it's the peck of guilt a part of Lola is currently feeling.

"Uhh...how about we change the subject," Lola finally spoke. "What other things do you like to do, Lindsay Sweetwater?"

"Well," Lindsay began, "I like tea parties."

Lola gasps. "Oh my gosh! So do I!"

"I also like princesses."

"Same here, girl!"

"And fairy tales."

"My favorite is Rapunzel."

"And stuffed animals."

"I have one named Mr. Sprinkles."

"And makeup."

"To beautify my pretty face."

"And, of course, dress up."

"I like to dress up, too!"

Suddenly, Lola and Lindsay gasped as they just thought of something.

"Would you like to come over for a sleepover someday?!"

And it was at this moment Lola and Lindsay realized what words were just uttered right out of their mouths. Their elated faces immediately turned to disgust.

"Me? Sleepover with you?! No way! Not in a million years!"

"GIRLS!" Mrs. Dufresne shouted, startling the girls. She walks over to Lola and Lindsay and gives them her look, placing her hands on her hips. "Less talking; more practicing," she scolded.

"Sorry."

As Mrs. Dufresne left, Winston and Francis stared at their girlfriends in confusion. Either they are imagining things, or they did actually just hear Lola and Lindsay have an actual conversation and even invited, or tried to, each other for a sleepover?

"Is it just me, or did Lola actually invite Lindsay to a sleepover?" asked Winston, struck with bewilderment.

"Yes, but she rejected it as soon as they realized they were having an actual conversation and claimed that they will never hang out with each other in a million years, which shocked me because Lindsay would never invite Lola over," explained Francis.

"And Lola would never invite Lindsay over. Maybe they are starting to get along."

"Let's just keep practicing before we get caught talking like Lola and Lindsay."

"Right."

Winston and Francis resumed practicing their tap dance. They tapped their tap-dancing shoes on the hard, shiny gym floor, creating rhythmic sounds that echoed throughout the gym. Their tap-dancing recital went well for a short time until Francis accidentally stepped on his left foot with his right foot. Francis grimaced, trying so hard to not release a scream of pain. It did not take long for Winston to notice Francis clearly in pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked concernedly.

"Yeah. I'm alright," Francis replied, still grimacing as the pain on his foot slowly eased.

"You stepped on your foot, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Francis gave Winston a nervous smile as he rubbed the back of his hair.

Winston rolled his eyes. "Oh, Francis. You know you gotta-"

"I know, Winston!" the Stewart interrupted. "I know how to tap dance! So I don't need you help."

As the pain completely went away, Francis resumed dancing, but it wasn't long until he accidentally stepped on his right foot with his left foot. Once again, Francis grimaced.

"On second thought, maybe I don't really know about tap dancing," Francis muttered, clearly in pain.

Winston walks over to his archrival, inspecting his feet. "Ah. I see the problem. You've crisscrossed your feet."

"And how is crisscrossing my feet the problem?" Francis questioned.

"Well, if you criss-cross your feet, there is a high chance you'll accidentally step on your feet, which you actually did," the Milbourne explained. "To avoid that, you'll have to keep your feet pointed straight forward. Don't turn them to the left or right. Just keep them pointed straight forward. Like this."

Winston demonstrates to Francis how to properly tap dance. Francis took this time to notice how Winston's feet are pointing forward and not changing direction, therefore not accidentally stepping on one of his feet.

As Winston finishes dancing, Francis, impressed by his rival's demonstration, says, "Wow. How do you know about this stuff?"

"My father taught me," Winston replied. "When he was my age, he took tap-dancing classes and performed on stage back in England. He was popular among the Londoners, and was known as the 'amazing tap-dancing boy'."

"Wow! I didn't know your father was a tap dancer!"

"The more you know, my dear Francis," Winston said in a British accent.

"Hmph! Hmph!" Mrs. Dufresne cleared her throat, standing behind Winston and Francis. The boy turned around to see their instructor glaring at them with her scolding expression.

"Sorry!"

* * *

An hour had passed by, and the first day of practice had come to an end. The pageant children, now back in their normal clothing, are huddled together and listening to Mrs. Dufresne as she makes her closing announcement.

"That was well done, ladies and gentlemen! You guys picked the greatest talents and found a way to work together! Especially you Lola, Lindsay, Winston, and Francis! You've set your differences aside and worked together pretty well! I'm so proud of you four!"

Lola, Winston, Lindsay, and Francis smiled proudly. Maybe being paired up with their archrivals wasn't a bad idea after all.

Mrs. Dufresne resumed, "And with that, I officially announce our end to our first day of practice. Goodbye, you magnificent children! And have a nice day!"


	5. Would You Like To Hang Out?

"So, how did your practice with Lindsay go?" Helen Holliday asked Lola.  
  
The pageant-loving children, with the exception of Winston, all surround Lola's seat as they bombard her with questions about her practice with her archrival. The rest of Mr. Cooper's students remain in their respective seats doing their own things and ignoring the inquisitive children.  
  
"Very well, somehow," Lola replied to Helen's question. "I thought you guys knew," she scoffed. "I mean, you guys were there, right?"  
  
"We were," Rhonda admitted, "but we didn't pay that much attention as we were focused on our own practice."  
  
"Oh. That's understandable."  
  
"Honestly," Roxanne began, "I thought you were gonna tackle Lindsay to the ground and beat the living crud out of her, knowing how violent you would get, especially around Lindsay."  
  
"I wish that happened," said Lola. "But at the same time, I felt bad for her after finding out the true reason why she competes in pageants in the first place," she muttered to herself as quietly as possible so none of her friends can hear what she just said.  
  
"What did you say?" Roxanne asked curiously, obviously having heard Lola's soft mutter.  
  
Realizing Roxanne had heard her, Lola, in a nervous state, says, "Oh. Uh...nothing." She giggled nervously, hoping her best friend would buy her little lie.  
  
"Are you gonna beat her up during recess?" Patty Huxley asked.  
  
"Of course not! Do you want me to be sent to the principal's office and get detention?" Lola scoffed at Patty.  
  
"Good point."  
  
"Like Roxanne, I am quite surprised that you and Lindsay got along well during practice yesterday, and got along for a while as well," stated Chinah, "or maybe you two got along just to avoid getting in trouble by Mrs. Dufresne."  
  
"Yes, Chinah. Lindsay and I just got along just to avoid being scolded," replied Lola. "I just kept my grudge to myself.  
  
As the pageant participants kept bombing her with their questions, Lola grew more irritated by the second. She just wanted to be left alone, left alone in her thoughts, thinking about yesterday's practice and how she got along with Lindsay pretty well. As Chinah said, it was surprising. She then thought about Lindsay's reason for entering her first pageant, and her face immediately grew regretful. Was it true that she ruined Lindsay's fun and turned her into a jealous monster due to her competitive nature? All Lola wanted to do was to overcome all odds to beat her competition, even if it means creating rivals.  
  
"Uhh...I think we should all leave Lola alone," Winston finally spoke, getting off his seat and approaching the pageant-competitive children. "I know her and Lindsay teaming up and getting along is surprising and so is Francis and I, but I think it's best if we leave her alone in her thoughts. We don't want her to get annoyed, now do we?"  
  
All of a sudden, the classroom door opened, and someone walked inside. All students, including Lola and the rest of the pageant children, stopped what they were doing and looked at the doorway, expecting Mr. Cooper to call for their attention and announce the beginning of class, but it wasn't him. Instead, a little girl with orange hair wearing a big turquoise bow, turquoise dress, and turquoise gloves entered the classroom. It was Lola's archrival Lindsay Sweetwater. As she entered the classroom, the students could not help but notice a nervous expression plastered on Lindsay's face. She is also fidgeting her hands around as if she has something to say but is nervous to do so. Lindsay slowly walked toward not her seat but toward Lola's. The entire class stared at the young Sweetwater in confusion as she stopped in front of her rival's seat. Lola stared at Lindsay, looking just as puzzled as everyone else. Lindsay just stood there, looking very anxious, refusing to make eye contact with Lola. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Lindsay spoke:  
  
"Um...Lola?"  
  
Lola was startled by Lindsay's first words. She expected her to stay standing next to her seat and remain quiet until Lola herself spoke first. Nonetheless, the pageant queen replies, "Yes...Lindsay?"  
  
"I don't know how to say this, but I've thought about asking this to you ever since I arrived home from yesterday's practice, so please listen up," Lindsay said, beginning to sweat nervously.  
  
"Um...okay…" Lola grew nervous herself, expecting another rant from Lindsay. Normally, she would sigh in annoyance or sarcasm and pretend to listen to Lindsay ranting on her, but the way the Sweetwater acted made Lola anxious herself.  
  
Lindsay began rubbing her right arm, sweating profusely, and took a deep breath before finally uttering her words nobody expected Lindsay to say to her archrival:  
  
"Would...would you like to...umm...hang out during recess?"  
  
A long, dead silence followed. The students that were bewildered just a few moments ago now stared at Lindsay in absolute and utter shock after hearing her question. Their mouths hanged wide open, and a few even dropped their things on the floor. They could not believe their ears. Lindsay had just asked Lola if she wants to hang out with her, something nobody expected Lindsay to ask Lola. Lola herself is in disbelief. No, that's an understatement. Heck, words cannot describe the shocked reaction Lola is currently feeling. Never would she ever thought of the day when Lindsay would ask her to hang out like they were friends. Lola even thought that she was dreaming and had softly slapped herself on her face a few times to wake herself up, but nothing happened. She is in the real world. This is actually happening.  
  
After sitting there beyond shocked, Lola shakes her head, snapping out of her state, and says to Lindsay, "Um, sorry. Didn't quite hear that. Could you repeat it, please?"  
  
Lindsay sighed and repeated her question, "Would you like to hang out during recess?"  
  
The entire class broke into a ruckus. They whispered amongst one another, not believing this is happening. Is the rivalry between Lindsay and Lola coming to an end. Are Lola and Lindsay going to be friends? And is Lola going to accept Lindsay's offer?  
  
As the class grew restless, Mr. Cooper enters the classroom. He slams his desk with a hammer like a judge in a courtroom, silencing his students. The children got the message and sat down on their seats, facing Mr. Cooper.  
  
"Okay, class. Quiet down. Class is starting. Now, what was the ruckus about?"


	6. Lindsey's Apology

Recess, the time at school where elementary school students are allowed to play or hang out with friends out on the schoolyard, sandbox, or jungle gym for thirty minutes before returning to class to resume doing their schoolwork. The children are allowed to play any elementary-school sport they choose like jump rope, handball, kickball, dodgeball, volleyball, and so on while others just hang out on the benches, or if you're Lana, play in the trash or mud with your pet frog. Recess is the time Lola either plays in the sandbox to build sandcastles or discusses with her pageant friends about recent pageant gossip, but today things are different for the pageant queen. She will not play in the sandbox or hang out with her friends; instead, she will hang out with the last person she will ever be with: her long-time archrival Lindsay Sweetwater.  
  
Lola and Lindsay approached an empty wooden table next to the sandbox and in front of an oak tree. This is one of the few tables that is not taken by the other students, and the leaves of the oak tree are partially blocking the sunlight and only letting a bit of it through the small gaps. This is the perfect table to sit at if you're a person who is obsessed with class, looks, and cleanliness that is. Lola and Lindsay sat down on the table, looking nervous. Both wanted to talk but were too anxious to do so. They waited patiently and nervously for the other to start speaking, but none of them did. They rubbed their hands together to try to alleviate their nervousness. After remaining silent for a while and gaining enough courage, Lola finally spoke:  
  
"So, how was your day?"  
  
"Good, I guess," replied Lindsay.  
  
"Okay." Lola paused for a moment then resumed, "So...um...you're ready for another day of practice together?" she asked, followed by her nervous giggles.  
  
"Umm...yeeeah. I'm definitely am," the Sweetwater replied, laughing anxiously for a bit.  
  
Then comes silence. Lola and Lindsay did not utter another word for another minute. They also refused to look at one another, too nervous to do so. They resumed fidgeting their hands, calming down the anxiety dwelling inside them. After a minute passed by, Lindsay finally spoke, still not looking at her rival:  
  
"Y'know, Lola. I didn't ask you to hang out to discuss the pageant."  
  
This caught Lola's attention. Without hesitation, she looked at her archrival in confusion.  
  
"Then what do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Something...serious."  
  
Lola, now more puzzled, presses on, "Serious?"  
  
Lindsay nodded slowly.  
  
"Like what?" Lola asked curiously.  
  
"Like…" the second-place pageant queen suddenly paused. She bites her lip, too nervous to answer her rival's question. She wonders if Lola would take this lightly or not, but knowing how infuriated she can get, the chances of Lola not taking it lightly is higher. Either way, Lindsay has to say it. It's now or never. "...our rivalry."  
  
Lola is taken aback by Lindsay's last two words. Going with her instincts, she grew angry and says, "So, you asked me to hang out with you so you can rant-"  
  
"Before you freak out!" Lindsay suddenly raised her voice, interrupting Lola and startling her a bit. "I want you to hear me out, and I promise it isn't one of my rants about you."  
  
Lola calmed down a bit but still felt a bit mad. "Okay. Go on."  
  
After taking a deep breath, Lindsay finally begins her story, "Remember earlier this morning that I told you that after returning home from yesterday's practice I thought about hanging out with you? Well, that isn't the only thing that I thought about that day. I also reflected on the past. Our past. Our rivalry. While reflecting on our past conflicts with each other, I realized I've done a bunch of horrible things to you and your friends, and I don't think you'll ever forgive me for what I've done to you."  
  
"You're darn right you've done bad things to me," Lola scoffed sarcastically, but at the same time noticed something strange in Lindsay's tone. Lola noticed that as Lindsay mentioned the words "horrible things," her voice sounded...regretful as if she regretted starting the conflicts with Lola and her friends in the past. Thinking about it, Lola regretted reacting in a sarcastic manner.  
  
Suddenly, Lola began to hear sniffs coming from Lindsay. She looks at her and notices some tears following down Lindsay's cheeks, indicating that she is crying. Lindsay pulls out a handkerchief from her purse and wipes her tears away, ruining her mascara in the process.  
  
Confused, Lola asks, "Hey. What's wrong?"  
  
"You know damn well what's wrong with me!" Lindsay snapped. "I treated you and your friends horribly!"  
  
Lola was once again taken aback. She can tell by Lindsay's crying that she actually regrets her past actions. But why? What made her finally regret her actions?  
  
"Woah, woah, woah! Try to calm down, Lindsay!"  
  
"NO!" the crying Sweetwater retorted. "How can I calm down after everything I've done to not only you but your friends! I exposed your dirty secret to your brother! I tried to take the love of your life away! I stole Winston's mother's diamond necklace and framed you for theft during Winston's party at his mansion! I set all the traps on stage for all the pageant participants during a previous pageant! Francis and I purposely sabotaged your and Winston's dance performance during the dance competition. Francis and I mocked Jane because of her weight! And we caused chaos using our powers! I'm a terrible person! I let my envy get the best of me! I deserve to be punished for the horrible things I've done to you, Winston, and the other girls! I deserve to go to jail for disrupting law and order using my superpowers! And deserve to not have friends after all the hell I've put for you and your friends! I'm nothing but a jealous, heartless monster!" Lindsay then breaks down crying, covering her face with her hands as her face becomes wet with tears.  
  
Lola watched Lindsay in pity. She never saw Lindsay feel this much guilt and regret for her past actions. The pink-attired pageant queen felt so terrible for her archrival that she formed tears herself. She felt so bad that she felt responsible for Lindsay's actions. No, she _is_ responsible for Lindsay's. If it weren't for her competitive nature, then Lindsay would have never felt envy towards her and would never have committed her horrible actions.  
  
"No, Lindsay!" Lola shouted, tearing up. "It's not your fault! It's mine! I'm the one who caused you to commit such horrible acts! You entered your first pageant to have fun, right? Well, if it weren't for my competitive nature, then you would have never felt jealousy towards me and would have never committed such horrible acts against me and my friends! Don't blame yourself for it! Blame me instead!"  
  
Lindsay, tears still flowing, was taken aback by Lola's words. She admitted it. She admitted that it was her fault that Lindsay was driven to commit jealous acts against her and her friends. Lindsay wanted to yell angrily at Lola and rant on her for turning her into an envious monster, but she can't. She promised that she won't launch another rant against her, and her job is to receive forgiveness from Lola, and ranting on her would just ruin that. Also, she felt terrible for Lola. Lola admitted that she made Lindsay jealous and now regrets it. Both her and Lola need to make amends, and the time is now.  
  
Lindsay stands up and looks at Lola, her mascara rolling down on her eyelids. "I forgive you, Lola Loud. I forgive you for turning me into the monster I was. It made me happy that we both apologized for our wrongdoings, and now we can put our stupid rivalry to an end. We can both make amends by befriending each other. We can hang out and get along. Finally, we can be in peace."  
  
Lola wipes a tear away from her eye, feeling a bit better. "Yes, we can."  
  
"Hug?" Lindsay asked.  
  
"Hug."  
  
The two former rivals engage in a warm hug. The two-year-long rivalry between Lola and Lindsay has officially come to an end. Both forgave each other and are now friends. No more conflict. No more gossip. No more rumors. All of that is nothing but history now.  
  
As Lola and Lindsay end the hug, Lola notices the messed-up mascara on Lindsay's eyelids due to her tears messing it up.  
  
"Before we return to class, let's go to the bathroom. You need to fix your mascara.


	7. Francis's Apology

Lunchtime, the time the students of Royal Woods Elementary take another thirty-minute break from schoolwork to fill and satisfy their hungry stomachs. Due to the students making up a vast majority of the school population, they are asked by the cafeteria ladies to form a huge, long line outside the cafeteria and let one to three students inside to choose their food. Once they collect their food, the pupils join their friends and look for an empty table to eat their lunch and hang out while lonely students eat alone. The cafeteria grows noisier as it fills with socializing pupils.  
  
Winston is eating his chicken sandwich alone at a short, two-person table. He usually sits with his friends and mingles with them while he eats, but for some reason, he decided to eat alone.  
  
As the affluent young boy munches on his juicy, delicious chicken sandwich, he thought about yesterday's pageant practice. Not only was it his first time practicing for a team-based pageant, but he was practicing---or rather was forced to practice---with his partner who was none other than his archrival Francis Stewart. He had been rivals with Francis ever since they were four. When they first met, they got along pretty well and even became friends due to their similarities in personality. However, their friendship deteriorated on the same day they formed their friendship when they were judging their first-ever young-age pageant. After the pageant was over, they met up with the pageant girls, who were Winston and Francis' age at the time, and competed over who would win over them with their chivalrous behavior. Unfortunately for Francis, Winston managed to win almost all of the girls as Francis won almost none of them. This made Francis jealous of his new friend, and at that instant, he disowned Winston as his friend and declared him his enemy before walking away. This made Winston feel guilty of losing his friend due to his competitive nature, but those feelings instantly went away as Lola, who he just met before the pageant started, comforted him and told him that he was just jealous that he couldn't attract a girl as beautiful as herself, or less beautiful as Lola viewed herself at the most beautiful girl since she won her first-ever pageant. She even made a joke about Francis pairing up with one of the losing girls who happened to had run away from the pageant crying after finding out she had won second place instead of first; that girl was Lindsay Sweetwater. Without any second thought, Winston agreed with Lola. He agreed that Francis was just jealous that he couldn't blow the girls away just like he did, and with that, the rivalry between Winston and Francis began.  
  
The next day at school, Winston and Francis had gotten into a fight with each other over their little 'woo the girls' competition which instantly turned physical. This, of course, got them sent to the principal's office. Mr. Huggins punished both boys with a week of detention and threatened expulsion if they got into another fistfight with each other. When the news of Winston and Francis' fight reached their families, they were in absolute shock, especially the Stewarts. Francis' parents feared that their son might get into another fistfight with Winston, so they decided to move away from Royal Woods to avoid such an outcome. When news of the Stewarts leaving Royal Woods reached Winston, he was relieved, and for the next two years, his life went pretty well, thinking that he'll never see his rival ever again. But he would have never guessed what would occur two years later.  
  
Just a few months ago, Francis and his family had moved back to Royal Woods, meaning Winston will have to share the same class, the same school, and the same auditorium with his archrival. Winston's beliefs that he'll never see Francis again flew out the window. Not only that, but he also earned himself a girlfriend: a girl named Lindsay Sweetwater, also known as his girlfriend Lola's archrival. The same girl Lola made a joke about Francis pairing up with. And so began Winston and Lola's rivalry with Francis and Lindsay.  
  
Winston let his past with Francis sink into his mind. Who knew a newly formed friendship can be simultaneously destroyed over a little competition he and Francis created. He also questioned whether agreeing with Lola was a good choice because it was that decision that determined his rivalry with Francis. Winston even began having regrets for agreeing with Lola.  
  
As he took another bite of his sandwich, he heard a familiar voice speak to him from behind:  
  
"Umm...is it okay if I sit with you?"  
  
Winston was a bit startled by the voice, almost spilling his chocolate milk. He looks behind and sees a red-haired boy with a similar-looking pompadour haircut wearing a blue vest, white undershirt, and khaki pants. It was him. The boy he just thought about. His archrival Francis Stewart.  
  
"Umm...sure. The empty seat's right behind you," Winston replied with uncertainty.  
  
Francis walks toward the empty seat, placing his tray down on the table, and takes a seat. Winston took this time to examine Francis, and he noticed that Francis looked nervous similar to how Lindsay looked anxious around Lola earlier today.  
  
"So...what brings you here?" Winston asked, also growing apprehensive himself.  
  
"I," Francis paused, taking a deep breath, "I want to apologize."  
  
Winston was taken aback by the last word. Apologize? What did he mean by that?  
  
"Apologize? Apologize for what?" the young Milbourne asked, puzzled.  
  
"For the terrible things I've done to you during the past few months," the young Stewart replied. "You should know what those are."  
  
Winston grew more flabbergasted. Was he referring to the past things he along with Lindsay did to him and Lola? No, it couldn't be. Francis would never apologize for the terrible actions he committed, would he? Winston is overwhelmed with questions. This is something he least expected from his rival.  
  
"Umm...what were those terrible things you've done during the past few months?" Winston asked, his agitation expanding inside him. This was a lie. He knows clearly what Francis had done to him and Lola in the recent past.  
  
Francis stared blankly at Winston. He knew Winston was lying, but he goes on to remind him anyway, "So you forgot, huh? Fine. I'll tell you. I helped Lindsay set those traps on the stage during a previous pageant practice, I sabotaged you and your girlfriend's dance performance, and Lindsay and I disrupted law and order when we received our powers."  
  
 _I knew it_ , Winston thought.  
  
"And I especially want to apologize for disowning you over some stupid little competition we had during the first pageant we judged two years ago," Francis resumed. "I wanted to congratulate you for getting all the girls while I didn't, but jealousy got the best of me. We would have remained friends right then and there, but I stupidly disowned you instead. I acted like a sore loser. Of course, knowing you, you would think that I'm tricking you and won't forgive me. I don't blame you for that."  
  
Francie stands up and grabs his tray, still facing Winston. "Now if you excuse me, I'll leave you alone now."  
  
As Francis is about to walk away, he is suddenly grabbed by the shoulder by Winston. He turns around to see Winston now standing and smiling at him, which took Francis by surprise.  
  
"Winston?"  
  
"I believe you, Francis," Winston stated.  
  
"Really?" Francis asked, growing elated.  
  
"Yes," the Milbourne confirmed. "There is one thing I do believe, and that is people can change, and you certainly changed."  
  
A warm smile appeared on Francis' face. It was relieving to see his former rival forgive him for the negative actions he committed as a result of his jealousy.  
  
"So what do you say, new friend? Truce?" Winston held up his hand, hoping Francis will shake it.  
  
Francis grabs Winston's hand and shakes it proudly. "Truce," he repeated.


	8. The Reveal

It's been thirty minutes since the school day ended. During this time, many students either go home, remain at school to participate in club activities, or join in with friends to go somewhere to hang out or buy something, and in the case of the pageant children, it's eating delicious dessert with friends.  
  
Roxanne, Alfred, and their friends, with the exception of Lola and Winston, are eating ice cream at an ice cream shop located somewhere in downtown Royal Woods. Since there is no pageant practice today, the pageant children are left to do whatever they choose during after-school hours, and they chose to eat ice cream together. As they devour the sweet treats, they could not help but wonder why Lola and Winston had not shown up yet. They also agreed to join them in their ice cream feast, but they are taking a while to finally show their faces. Although, the princess and the prince did say that they have a surprise for them, so that is why it's taking Lola and Winston long to arrive at the feast.  
  
"I wonder what's taking Lola and Winston so long to get here," Alfred said as he eats a spoonful of his sundae.  
  
"Maybe they're still preparing their surprise for us," Roxanne assumed as she munches on her vanilla ice cream.  
  
"I wonder what the surprise is," said Chinah.  
  
"I would like to know, too," Jackie said.  
  
"We just have to wait until Winston and Lola finally arrive," Claudette reminded her friends.  
  
As the pageant-competitive children resumed eating, they suddenly heard the bell next to the door of the ice cream shop ringing as well as the door opening, indicating that more customers just entered the shop. The pageant kids all faced the door to see Lola and Winston standing there with smiles on their faces.  
  
" 'Bout time, y'all got here!" Jesse said in her usual cowgirl accent.  
  
"So what's the surprise?" Oprah asked.  
  
"Just right outside the shop," Lola replied.  
  
"Hm?" the princes and princesses are confused.  
  
Just then, the door of the ice cream shop opened again, causing the bell to ring once more. The people who entered where the last ones the pageant gang wanted to see. It was them. Their enemies Lindsay Sweetwater and Francis Stewart: the two pageant participants infamous for setting traps all over the pageant stage and willing to do anything to win first place, including cheating. The pageant group, unsurprisingly, looked like they had just finished watching a horror movie. Many questions ran through their minds. What were Lola and Winston doing with Lindsay and Francis? They're friends with Lindsay and Francis now? How is this possible? Am I living a nightmare? I thought Lola and Winston were enemies with Lindsay and Francis! Their horrified reaction immediately turned to anger. Not only were Lindsay and Francis were formerly seen as rivals of Lola and Winston, but they were also the enemies of the pageant gang. The gang had recalled the horrible actions Lindsay and Francis committed against them, such as insulting Jane's weight, covering Claudette with sand, ruining Chinah's mascara with an explosive fake tiara, spraying Jackie with pink spray, and many more. The majority of the gang still holds a grudge against Lindsay and Francis for their tricks and teasing against them. The only person that is not feeling any form of contempt against the Sweetwater and the Stewart is Jacqueline Carmichael. Despite being friends with Lola's friends, Jacqueline is also friends with Lindsay and Francis. She would care less if Lindsay and Francis had done bad things to the rest of the pageant gang, but even so, she is still surprised that Lindsay and Francis befriended Lola and Winston. Even Jacqueline is aware of the rivalry between the two couples.  
  
"That's the surprise?! Lindsay and Francis?!" Alfred exclaimed, his emotions a mixture of shock and anger.  
  
"What are they doing here?!" Roxanne asked, angry.  
  
"I thought you hated them!" exclaimed Patty angrily.  
  
"Can you explain this discrepancy?!" Jackie demanded.  
  
"Now, now!" Winston calms down his and Lola's friends. "I know you all still hold grudges against Lindsay and Francis for what they've done on stage, but they want to tell you something, so please hear them out."  
  
The pageant children remained silent, though their anger and hatred against Lindsay and Francis still polluted their minds.  
  
Lola looks at Lindsay and Francis, "You both may begin."  
  
The Sweetwater and the Stewart took a deep breath, sensing the children's spiteful eyes glaring directly at them, before finally starting their apology:  
  
"We would like to apologize for the terrible actions we committed against you guys during the past few months on the stage," Lindsay began.  
  
"As you all know, not only did we mess with Lola and Winston, but we also messed with the rest of you," Francis added.  
  
"We made fun of Jane because she's overweight."  
  
"And set up those stage traps."  
  
"Because we were so jealous of Lola and Winston that we decided to go against all of you! We were sore losers, and we're sorry!" Lindsay and Francis both proclaimed apologetically.  
  
Once again, the pageant gang is shocked, though not as much as before. They had never expected Lindsay and Francis to apologize for their actions against them, let alone regret their past actions.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening! Lindsay and Francis actually apologized!" Rhonda exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"I know! This can't be real!" Sally said.  
  
"Are you guys playing a trick on us?" Chinah asked, growing suspicious.  
  
"What?! No! We're being sincere! Honest!" Lindsay exclaimed.  
  
"No lies here! Honest!" added Francis.  
  
"Don't worry, everyone. They're with us, so they're not playing any tricks when we're around," Winston reassured to everyone, glaring at Lindsay and Francis.  
  
"And speaking of friendship, how did you become friends with these two?" Chinah asked.  
  
"Simple. They apologized to us, and we forgave them," replied Lola.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhh…" the pageant gang uttered.  
  
"Well, in that case, I guess we'll forgive Lindsay and Francis, too," Chinah finally proclaimed.  
  
Smiles appeared on Lindsay and Francis' faces.  
  
"But if you break your promise of no longer doing any of your tricks or cheats, then don't expect us to forgive you again. Deal?"  
  
"Deal!" Lindsay and Francis agreed.  
  
"Good," uttered Chinah, now smiling.  
  
"Now get y'all ice cream and sit down with us!" Jesse offered. "There are still more seats left."


	9. Practice Makes Perfect

After the ice cream feast, Lola and Lindsey decided to come to the Loud home to practice their ribbon dance for the upcoming team-based pageant. There is no practice at the park gymnasium with Mrs. Dufresne today, but that does not mean Lola and Lindsay are not going to practice. As the former rivals arrived at the Loud residence, they were met with surprised looks from the Loud siblings, especially Lana. Both Lola and Lindsey had expected this since almost everyone they knew, including their family members, still think they are rivals. Lola answered her siblings' questions with "it's a long story," but she did not hesitate to give a summary of how she forgave and befriended Lindsay. After clearing things up with the siblings, Lola and Lindsay headed to the backyard where they will practice their ribbon dance.  
  
"Welp. This is it. This is our second time practicing with each other," said Lola.  
  
"You've said it, only this time we're doing this as friends," said Lindsay, growing a bit excited.  
  
"What do you say? Shall we get started?" Lola shoots Lindsay a casual smirk.  
  
"You bet, sister!" Lindsay replied with a smirk.

* * *

Meanwhile, Winston and Francis had just arrived at the Stewart mansion, Francis' home. The Stewart led the Milbourne to his home auditorium where they will practice their tap dancing. Upon entering the Stewart auditorium, Winston was beyond impressed. He never knew that his former rival had his very own auditorium. This is where Lindsay and Francis rehearse for a pageant.  
  
"It's a beauty, isn't it?" Francis spoke, snapping Winston out of his trance.  
  
"Uh, yeah. It is," Winston replied.  
  
Then, Francis holds up his tap-dancing shoes and tap-dancing suit. "So, shall we get started?"  
  
Winston flashed Francis with a smirk, knowing what to do.

* * *

The reader is shown a montage of Lola and Lindsay practicing their ribbon dance at the backyard of Loud home and Winston and Francis practicing their tap dancing at the auditorium of the Stewart mansion. Lola and Lindsay twirl as they spin their long ribbons around their bodies, and then they leap across the air, crossing each other, spreading their legs, and waving their flags. Meanwhile, Winston and Francis, now wearing their tap-dancing attire, tap dance together on stage. They tap their shoes along the stage, creating a rhythmic, synchronized tapping sound.  
  
The next day at practice, Lola, Lindsay, Winston, and Francis showed off their skills to their friends and Mrs. Dufresne. The pageant participants and the instructor were all mesmerized by the skills of the former rivals. Mrs. Dufresne was also happy that the now-befriended couples are starting to get along and treating each other as friends. She knew that her plan to bring Lola and Lindsay and Winston and Francis together will work.  
  
Lola, Lindsay, Winston, and Francis continue to practice at their respective homes and at practice for the next few weeks as the day of the Little Mister and Miss Teamwork pageant draws nearer, their skills improving as they practice. Eventually, the day arrives, and the former rivals all made sure that they are prepared for it.


	10. The Teamwork Pageant

It is currently nighttime at the small Michigan town of Royal Woods, and at the auditorium, the audience, which is mostly composed of high-class citizens which included the Milbournes, Stewarts, and Sweetwaters, is whispering amongst one another as they wait for the Little Mister and Miss Teamwork pageant to begin. Dana Dufresne, the host of the pageant, had already explained to the audience what the pageant is about. The pageant is about a pair of children performing some sort of act together, and the winners are decided depending on how well the pair performed the act and how well the partners worked together to perform said act. After explaining, Dana steps aside to let the pageant go on.  
  
After about a few moments of waiting and whispering, the pageant finally begins with the red curtains slowly opening, revealing to be both Lindsay and Lola on stage, smiling at the audience. Both girls are wearing their black leotards, which exposed their legs and arms, with their long hair tied to the back as a bun. They are both holding their ribbons which matched their signature colors, preparing to dance. After standing on stage and smiling at the audience for a very short time, they began their performance. Lindsay and Lola hold their ribbon high up into the sky before twirling their long ribbons around their bodies. Then, the former rivals themselves begin twirling. The audience, especially the Sweetwaters, are impressed by the spectacular sight of the twirling girls inside the funnel-shaped ribbons. Next, the girls moved away from each other in opposite directions as they twirled. Then, they cease twirling and leap into the air, spreading their legs and smiling. The audience are left with their mouths open as they watch the two young girls cross each other while their long ribbons waved in the air. A picturesque sight indeed. Finally, they land safely on their feet and lift their legs backward, standing on one foot as they smile at the audience. Their performance is now over. Immediately, the audience applauded the girls as they put their feet down and approached each other. Lola and Lindsay exchanged proud looks and then shook each others' hands, intensifying the applauding. Finally, the former archrivals face the audience, holding hands, and take a bow.

* * *

After many more performances of other participants, it is now time for the last performance. The audience watch as the red curtains slowly open for the final time, revealing Winston and Francis. Both boys are wearing their tap-dancing attire while holding the curved part of their canes as its bottom part is on the stage floor. They lift their top hats a bit before finally starting their performance. They lift their canes from the floor and hold it horizontally with both hands as they tap dance along their floor. The tapping of their tap-dancing shoes along the stage floor sounded very synchronized and rhythmic. Then, the boys begin twirling their canes like batons while performing tricks with it such as throwing it up in the air and catching it with their other hand and back. Their performance lasts for another minute before finally ending. Instantly, the audience broke out in cheers and clapping as the boys held a pose on stage. Then, the former rivals end their pose and exchange proud looks before shaking their hands like Lola and Lindsay. Finally, they face the audience and take a bow as the applauding intensify.

* * *

After the pageant is over, the pageant gang is heading towards the ice cream shop to celebrate their great performances during the pageant. All of them are still wearing their attires appropriate for their acts, such as Jackie still wearing her gymnast's leotard, Claudette still wearing her fencing outfit, Jane still wearing her ballerina gown, Carl and Adelaide wearing their tango attire, etc. Lola, Winston, Lindsay, and Francis are carrying their golden trophies, indicating that they are the winners of the pageant.  
  
"Congratulations on winning the pageant, guys," Jane praised the former rivals.  
  
"Honestly, I didn't think you guys would win since you two were enemies, or at least used to be enemies," Chinah admitted.  
  
"Well, we didn't think we would actually become friends, let alone win together," Winston confessed.  
  
"Maybe it's luck?" Lola said.  
  
The pageant gang burst out laughing.  
  
"Well, it's nice that you two are now friends. Honestly, I grew tired of the repetitive rivalry you two had," Claudette stated.  
  
"Yeah. It was starting to get old," Carl admitted.  
  
"I mean, the constant arguing, the traps, plotting revenge, trying to one-up each other. Like, can y'all stop already?" said Jane.  
  
"But at the same time, I thought it wasn't possible for you four to become friends and end the boring yet intense rivalry of yours," said Patty.  
  
"And here we are! Friends forever!" Lola, Lindsay, Winston, and Francis exclaimed together. Realizing they said it at the same time, they blushed and exchanged nervous smiles.  
  
Once again, the gang burst laughing as they went down the sidewalk towards the ice cream shop. One fact that Lola, Lindsay, Winston, and Francis are proud of is that they are finally friends.

**THE END**


End file.
